Op-Ed

Once a Castle, Home is Now a Debtors' Prison

Published:	February 2, 2012
Feature:	Op-Ed
Forum:	open for comment; 6 Comments posted

Forget the notion of the home as "castle." Twenty-two percent of Americans owe more on their mortgages than the value of their homes. Nicolas P. Retsinas offers ideas for how these "debtors' prisons" can be turned into productive housing.

Where Green Corporate Ratings Fail

Published:	January 6, 2012
Feature:	Op-Ed
Forum:	open for comment; 7 Comments posted

Many companies receiving high marks in environmental sustainability are hurting the planet in other ways, write professor Michael Toffel and executive Auden Schendler. Here's where green rankings fall short.

Leading and Lagging Countries in Contributing to a Sustainable Society

Published:	May 23, 2011
Feature:	Op-Ed
Forum:	open for comment; 11 Comments posted

To determine the extent to which corporate and investor behavior is changing to contribute to a more sustainable society, researchers Robert Eccles and George Serafeim analyzed data involving over 2,000 companies in 23 countries. One result: a ranking of countries based on the degree to which their companies integrate environmental and social discussions and metrics in their financial disclosures.

While Waiting for Japan's Recovery, Let's Enhance Supplier Competitiveness at Home

Published:	April 28, 2011
Feature:	Op-Ed
Forum:	open for comment; 3 Comments posted

The Obama administration and US companies do not have to wait for Japanese suppliers to recover from earthquake damage, argues Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter. Action can be taken now to ensure that America invests in growing our domestic stock of world-class suppliers.

HBS Faculty Comment on Environmental Issues for Earth Day

Published:	April 26, 2011
Feature:	Op-Ed
Forum:	open for comment; 3 Comments posted

Harvard Business School faculty members offer their views on the many business facets of "going green."

What's Government's Role in Regulating Home Purchase Financing?

Q&A with:	David S. Scharfstein
Published:	February 24, 2011
Feature:	Op-Ed

The Obama administration recently proposed housing finance reforms to wind down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and bring private capital back to the mortgage markets. HBS professor David Scharfstein and doctoral student Adi Sunderam put forth a proposal to replace Fannie and Freddie and ensure a more stable supply of housing finance.

Funding Unpredictability Around Stem-Cell Research Inflicts Heavy Cost on Scientific Progress

Published:	January 5, 2011
Feature:	Op-Ed
Forum:	open for comment; 6 Comments posted

Funding unpredictability in human embryonic stem-cell research inflicts a heavy cost on all scientific progress, says professor William Sahlman.

Tax US Companies to Spur Spending

Published:	December 14, 2010
Feature:	Op-Ed
Forum:	open for comment; 9 Comments posted

With traditional monetary and fiscal policy instruments to stimulate the economy seemingly exhausted, professor Mihir Desai offers a radical proposal: Use taxes to motivate corporations to spend a trillion dollars in cash.

Export Competitiveness: Reversing the Logic

Published:	October 20, 2010
Feature:	Op-Ed

While the economic crisis has caused countries to revisit growth strategies, it has also raised serious concerns about whether the traditional strategy of export-led growth is producing the right answer. Harvard Business School's Christian Ketels argues that the focus of debate now needs to be on the actual policies that can increase competitiveness rather than exports per se.

Diagnosing the Public Health Care Alternative

Published:	July 13, 2009
Feature:	Op-Ed

With deep experience in health insurance reform, HBS faculty describe how improved competition in insurance plans could improve value for patients. Professors Regina E. Herzlinger, Robert Huckman, and Michael E. Porter take the pulse of a debate.

GM: What Went Wrong and What's Next

Published:	June 15, 2009
Feature:	Op-Ed

For decades, General Motors reigned as the king of automakers. What went wrong? We asked HBS faculty to reflect on the wrong turns and missed opportunities of the former industry leader, and to suggest ideas for recovery.

Credit is Not the Bogey

Published:	March 4, 2009
Feature:	Op-Ed

"As we attempt to jump-start the economy of 2009, we should recognize both the risks and the advantages inherent in a robust credit industry," write HBS lecturer Nicolas P. Retsinas and Eric S. Belsky. The director and executive director, respectively, of Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, they offer a prescription for making credit neither too easy nor too hard to get.

Selling Out The American Dream

Published:	November 6, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

The American Dream has been transformed from an embodiment of the country's core values into a crass appeal to materialism and easy gratification. One result: the current economic crisis, says professor John Quelch. The federal government isn't helping.

The Time is Right for Creative Capitalism

Published:	August 20, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

Bill Gates has it right. Business is the most powerful force for change in the world right now and gives the idea of creative capitalism real power, writes Harvard Business School professor Nancy F. Koehn.

Google-Yahoo Ad Deal is Bad for Online Advertising

Published:	August 12, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

A proposed advertising deal between Internet competitors Google and Yahoo would reduce competitiveness in the Internet advertising market, likely resulting in higher advertising rates, says Harvard Business School professor Benjamin G. Edelman.

Why the U.S. Should Encourage FDI

Published:	July 30, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

American financial executives are courting foreign direct investors, particularly sovereign wealth funds, for new investments. Should these investments draw increased scrutiny from U.S. regulators? Harvard Business School professor Mihir Desai argues that most of these deals work out in America's best financial interest.

What Should Employers Do about Health Care?

Published:	July 16, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

Companies that cut health care costs without improving the overall value of care eventually pay a price in terms of employee absenteeism and chronic ailments. According to Harvard University professor and strategy expert Michael E. Porter and coauthors, the best way to truly reduce health care costs is to improve quality.

The Gap in the U.S. Treasury Recommendations

Published:	April 23, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

U.S. Treasury recommendations for strengthening the regulation of the financial system are a good start but fall short, says Harvard Business School professor emeritus Dwight B. Crane. Here's his suggestion for bringing regulation into the 21st century.

A House Divided: Investment or Shelter?

Published:	January 23, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

For decades Americans viewed their homes as a safe harbor, a place to put down roots. But the last decade saw the rise of housing as an investment opportunity. What comes next? asks Harvard Business School professor Nicolas P. Retsinas, director of Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

3 Steps to Reduce Financial System Risk

Published:	August 15, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

By using complex derivative products, banks are better able to manage risk. But this "credit risk transfer" technology is transferring risk to a new set of investors inexperienced in this arena and posing exposure problems for the international financial system as a whole, argues Harvard Business School professor Mohamed El-Erian. Here's how to fix the problem.